Bikeways

Bike Links and Resources

Glossary

Shared-Use Lane:
A travel lane where motor vehicles and bicycles must compete for the same space.

Wide Curb Lane:
Any lane greater than 12 feet in width benefits bicycle access by reducing the conflict between motorists and cyclists. A curb lane that is 14 feet or greater (measured to the face of the curb) is typically striped as an 11 foot wide travel lane for motor vehicles and the remaining space as a shoulder available to cyclists. While a striped or not striped wide curb lane may be the same width, providing the stripe helps to keep both motorists and cyclists in their space and thereby reducing conflicts between the two users. Unless it is designated as a bicycle lane, the space to the right of the travel lane edge stripe will simply be referred to as a shoulder and provide the same benefits such as accommodating stopped vehicles, emergency use and pedestrians.

Bicycle Lane:
A bicycle lane is any portion of the roadway or shoulder that has been designated by striping, signing and pavement markings for the preferential or exclusive use of bicycles. See MUTCD 2000, Part 9.

Bikeway:
A generic term for any road, street, shoulder, path or way where bicycles are permitted to operate.

Bicycle Route:
A bikeway or system of bikeways that have been designated with directional and informational route markers to provide guidance, connectivity and continuity.

Bike Path or Shared Use Path:
A bikeway physically separated from motorized traffic by an open space or barrier and either within the highway right of way or within an independent right of way. Shared-use paths might also be used by pedestrians, skaters, joggers, wheel chair users and other non-motorized users.

Pocket Lane:
A portion of the roadway intended for the exclusive use by bicyclists located on the approach leg of an intersection immediately between the mandatory right turn lane and the adjacent through travel lane. Pocket lanes are intended to reduce the conflicts between bicyclists who wish to proceed through the intersection and right turning motor vehicles. Pocket lanes 4 feet wide or wider should be designated with a bicycle marking to reduce any confusion by motorized vehicle drivers that the space might be a narrow travel lane. Pocket lanes less than 4 feet wide will not be designated.

Shoulder:
The portion of the roadway contiguous with the travel way for accommodating stopped vehicles, emergency use, bicycles and pedestrians.

Sidewalk:
The portion of a street or highway right of way designed for preferential or exclusive use by pedestrians.